or


[01/07/14 - 03:45 PM]
FOX Cracks the Case with Hart Hanson's New Crime Drama "Backstrom"
Rainn Wilson stars as the title role in the project, which was originally developed by CBS.

[via press release from FOX]

HOT FROM FOX...

FOX CRACKS THE CASE WITH HART HANSON'S NEW CRIME DRAMA "BACKSTROM"

Emmy Award Nominee Rainn Wilson to Star and Produce; Based on Books by Renowned Criminologist and Novelist Leif G.W. Persson

Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) has given a 13-episode series order to BACKSTROM, a one-hour drama from 20th Century Fox Television, based on renowned Swedish criminologist and novelist Leif G.W. Persson's hit series of books of the same name. Created and executive-produced by Hart Hanson (BONES, "The Finder"), the series centers on Detective EVERETT BACKSTROM (three-time Emmy Award nominee Rainn Wilson, "The Office"), an offensive, irascible detective, as he tries, and fails, to change his self-destructive behavior. Throughout the series, Backstrom leads his team, the Serious Crimes Unit, as they navigate Portland's most sensitive cases.

"Hart Hanson and Rainn Wilson are the perfect combination of creative vision and on-screen talent to bring this one-of-a-kind character and story like BACKSTROM to FOX," said Kevin Reilly, Chairman of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. "I've been in business with Hart for a long time, and not only does he have a rare gift for infusing darker themes with relatable humor, he's one of the best showrunners out there today. Together with Rainn - who absolutely nails this role and makes it a classic FOX character - I think we've got something really special here."

"There are so few creators out there with the genuine ability to mix great procedural storytelling with humor, and Hart Hanson is one of those guys. Getting another show on the air with him has been a top priority of this company," commented Twentieth Century Fox Television Chairmen and CEOs Gary Newman and Dana Walden. "And getting the amazing Rainn Wilson in the title role was quite simply a coup. His 'Backstrom' fits perfectly into FOX's long history of dramas centered around a bigger-than-life iconic character."

"Naturally, all of us who worked on BACKSTROM thought it was too promising a series to die unseen and Dana and Gary were relentless in their support of the project," added Hanson. "Imagine our delight to find that Kevin Reilly and his team at FOX agreed enough to pick it up and give us a good home. Thanks FOX!"

"I couldn't be more thrilled to get a chance to dig into Detective Everett Backstrom. For an actor it's rare to get a crack at a role of such intelligence, humor and complexity. He's a delightfully disheveled misanthrope with a twisted, brilliant mind and a heart of barbed wire. Truly the role of a lifetime," noted Wilson. "Hart Hanson is an incredible writer and showrunner and I couldn't be more excited to collaborate with him. Last but not least, FOX is the PERFECT home for this fun and disturbed piece of entertainment. They are passionate about the show and I'm ecstatic to be working with Kevin Reilly again (he launched "The Office" on NBC and fought tooth-and-nail for us to stay on the air, let's not forget) and to be on the same network as my frenemy, Mindy Kaling."

Hanson serves as executive producer on the series with Persson and Niclas Salomonsson. Emmy Award-nominated director Mark Mylod ("Entourage," "Shameless," "Ali G Indahouse") served as director and executive producer on the pilot. Production is scheduled to begin in early 2014.

In the pilot episode, after the apparent suicide of a Senator's son is ruled a homicide, the Portland Police Bureau's Serious Crime Unit, led by Detective Backstrom (Wilson) must solve the case. Following the team's arrival on the scene, forensics expert Sergeant PETER NIEDERMAYER (Kristoffer Polaha, "Ringer," "Life Unexpected") verifies that the death was indeed a homicide. This starts the trail for Backstrom and his team: Detective NICOLE GRAVELY, Detective Sergeant JOHN ALMOND (Dennis Haysbert, "The Unit," "24"), uniformed officer FRANK MOTO (Page Kennedy, "Weeds," S.W.A.T.") and the tech-savvy NADIA PAQUET (Beatrice Rosen, "The Dark Knight," "Cuts"). Together, they must follow leads, while trying to maintain a low profile in this highly scrutinized case.

Persson's book series "Backstrom" is popular in Scandinavia, where his work has sold more than six million copies. The character has appeared in two novels so far, "Linda" and "He Who Kills The Dragon."

BACKSTROM is produced by 20th Century Fox Television. The series is created, written and executive-produced by Hart Hanson. Leif G.W. Persson and Niclas Salomonsson serve as executive producers. Rainn Wilson and Josh Levy serve as producers. Mark Mylod directed and served as an executive producer on the pilot.





  [january 2014]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· BACKSTROM (FOX)
· BONES (FOX)
· FINDER, THE (FOX)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)





[07/30/25 - 09:06 AM]
TNT Unveils Impressive Guest Star Lineup for Season Two of "The Librarians: The Next Chapter"
Dominic Monaghan, Jeremy Swift, Josh Gates, Stefan Kapicic, Oliver Dench and more around bound for the show's sophomore run.

[07/30/25 - 09:06 AM]
ABC News Studios Announces Three New True Crime Docuseries to Premiere in August, Streaming Exclusively on Hulu
"Capturing Their Killer: The Girls on the High Bridge," "Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror" and "Ruby Red Handed: Stealing America's Most Famous Pair of Shoes" are all on tap in the coming month.

[07/30/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Trailer & Key Art Debut - Hulu's "The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox"
A limited series inspired by the story of how Amanda Knox was wrongfully convicted for the tragic murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher, and her 16-year odyssey to set herself free.

[07/30/25 - 07:16 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Debuts Trailer for Peanuts Special "Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical"
Discover the magic of summer camp as Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the gang break out in original songs by Emmy Award nominees Jeff Morrow and Ben Folds, plus Broadway veterans Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner in the first Peanuts musical in over three decades.

[07/30/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "The Dead Girls" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Based on Jorge Ibargüengoitia's novel, the series tells how the Baladro sisters built a brothel empire and became merciless killers in 1960s Mexico.

[07/30/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Her Mother's Killer" Season 2 - Sneak Peek - Netflix
With Mejía in prison, Analía and Pablo look to their future. But a relentless new enemy threatens to destroy everything they've built.

[07/30/25 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "Fantasy Football Ruined Our Lives" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a member of their fantasy football league vanishes on his wedding day, a motley group of friends recount the lead-up to his chaotic bachelor party.

[07/29/25 - 04:00 PM]
Video: Teaser Trailer & Poster - Korean Hulu Original "Tempest"
The new spy thriller with an international cast, including Gianna Jun, Gang Dongwon, John Cho and more, is launching with three episodes on September 10 on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.

[07/29/25 - 02:26 PM]
Discovery Channel August Programming Highlights
This August, the all-new series "Truck Dynasty" premieres alongside new seasons of "Deadliest Catch," "Contraband: Seized at the Border," "Bering Sea Gold," "Mysteries of the Abandoned," and "Expedition X."

[07/29/25 - 12:32 PM]
"Inside the Worlds of Epic Universe" to Air Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 9 P.M. ET/PT on NBC and Next Day on Peacock
Hosted by Joe Manganiello, the one-hour special celebrates the debut of Universal Orlando Resort's Universal Epic Universe and explores the imagination, innovation and storytelling behind the groundbreaking new theme park.

[07/29/25 - 12:07 PM]
Video: "Songs & Stories with Kelly Clarkson" - NBC
Get an exclusive first look at the new four-part behind-the-scenes series, featuring Gloria Estefan, Jonas Brothers, Lizzo and Teddy Swims.

[07/29/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of July 21: "Happy Gilmore 2" Finds Its Happy Place at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
Mystery thriller "Untamed" spent another week at No. 1 on the English TV List.

[07/29/25 - 11:46 AM]
ABC Airs Another of Its Most-Watched WNBA Games Ever: Indiana Fever vs Chicago Sky Averaged 1.5 Million Viewers, Up 17% from Last Year's ABC Average
Said audience peaked with 1.7 million viewers.

[07/29/25 - 11:30 AM]
Chilling Crime Thriller Based on the Unbelievable Real-Life Case, "Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story," Set to Premiere on Thursday, August 28, Exclusively on AMC+
Additionally, a three-part Sundance Now original true crime docu-series about the ordeal, "Chloe Ayling: My Unbelievable Kidnapping," will premiere with all episodes on Thursday, September 25, exclusively on Sundance Now and AMC+.

[07/29/25 - 11:00 AM]
ABC Announces Fall 2025 Premiere Dates on the Heels of Scoring the Top 5 Programs in Adults 18-49 for the 2024-2025 Season
New series "9-1-1: Nashville" and returning series "9-1-1" and "Grey's Anatomy" will now premiere Thursday, October 9.